The present invention relates to a cutter bar with indexable blades for rotary lawn mowers, said blades being replaceable and having a plurality of cutting edges which can be easily indexed into cutting position without detaching the replaceable blade from the cutter bar or upending the mower.
A conventional cutter bar on a rotary lawn mower becomes dulled over a period of time and must be removed for resharpening or for replacement. Such wear varies greatly upon the extent of use and damage by foreign objects such as rocks and the like. The cutter bar is attached to the power shaft with a nut. The power shaft is held by the compression of the engine and tends to rotate with the nut during removal of the cutter bar unless the shaft is held with a pair of vice grips or the like. If the mower is gasoline powered, it is advantageous to drain the gas tank first since the mower is stood on its side while the cutter bar is being removed.
Various types of rotary cutter bars with replaceable blades have been proposed to avoid removing the cutter bar for resharpening or replacement. In the main, however, the replaceable blades have proved difficult to remove requiring upending the mower in the same manner that is required for removing the cutter bar. In addition, they have also presented problems of one kind or another with regard to complex fabrications, strength, cost or the like. Included in the prior art have been cutter bars with blades having a plurality of cutting edges, a sharp one of which can be indexed into cutting position but, unlike the present invention, only after upending the mower and detaching the blade from the cutter bar.
In view of the above, there has remained a need for a cutter bar with indexable blades for rotary lawn mowers wherein the indexable blades are replaceable and easily indexed into cutting position. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a cutter bar. Other objects and features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.